


Phantoms

by wigglewyrms (KeyholeCat)



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Einherjar - Freeform, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Pre-localization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 23:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4411844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeyholeCat/pseuds/wigglewyrms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severa's new life is interrupted by the appearance of an old friend. </p><p>("She could do it. She could kill Lucina. She could save her from another war.")</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The bulk of this was written before US release of Fates, so the setting is probably pretty inaccurate. Sorry!

Severa thought it must be another dream. Another dream where ghosts of her home taunted her, fought her, talked to her, touched her, walked amongst those she now called comrades. Lucina stood there, sword poised to strike, breathing ragged, blood dripping from an open wound. It was an image common to Severa’s nightmares, even today. Lucina calling out to her, arrows sinking into her skin, falling dead before her eyes, Severa’s final hope, gone. Lucina’s fingers brushing against her hands, saying something Severa could never remember, but always leaving her in tears. But this Lucina was different.

She stood over a victim. Lord Corrin. Corrin’s brother, the strategist, stood beside her. He scoffed and flipped through the pages of a tome. “I told you I should be the one to handle this. Even you couldn’t match an Einherjar in swordplay. A bit of magic, however…” Dark tendrils curled around Leo’s hand, which he raised toward Lucina.

Severa’s sword flashed to her hand and angled towards the prince. It had been years since she’d even seen Lucina, but some habits never changed.

“Don’t lift another finger,” she snarled.

“Severa…?” a voice called. Severa swallowed and only tightened her grip on her blade.

Leo’s eyes narrowed, but he held his hand still over the tome. “Selena? What on earth do you think you’re doing? And who is ‘Severa’?”

“Selena, stop! If anyone else sees you raise a blade at a noble, they’ll—”

Leo begged Corrin’s silence with a hand, which still pulsed with shadow. “If she’s reckless enough to threaten a member of the royal family, she must have a good reason. What is it, then?” He closed the tome, and the magic seeped back into his skin. The tip of Severa’s sword sunk as she relaxed, but she still watched him warily.

“Walk away, Severa,” Lucina muttered, “This is my fight. I’ll not have you stand in harm’s way for my sake.”

Severa scoffed. This was Lucina, alright. “Look, if you want to get yourself fried by dark magic, then that’s your—” She stopped when she finally turned to look at the lost lord. Severa’s heart dropped, and she heard the thick rush of blood in her ears. Lucina didn’t look a day older than the girl from her memories. “You… you can’t really be…”

“She’s an Einherjar.”

“What?”

Leo nodded, gesturing towards Lucina. “An Einherjar. A conjured spirit of a powerful warrior. They’re crafted to be living weapons, unaware of their existence as mere phantoms of past heroes.”

“I know what an Einherjar is! Er, I mean… I’ve heard of them…” Severa averted her gaze, but not before seeing Leo raise an eyebrow.

Corrin finally pulled herself to her feet, though she clutched her side as though injured. “We were just trying to see whether she would cooperate if we summoned her. They’re supposed to fight for whoever conjures them, but it, uh… didn’t go as planned.”

“I read that they are typically summoned through cards, but this one seems a little different. See here.” Leo tossed Selena a small object. Turning it over in her hands, she realized it was a small carved likeness of Lucina. “Perhaps that is why this one is acting so differently. Unless this ‘Lucina’ was not as loyal as the tales tell.”

Severa bit back a retort. The last thing she needed was another reason to appear suspicious. “Just let me talk to her, okay? I… I’ve dealt with Einherjar before, back where I came from.”

“Really? You’ll have to tell me about them sometime,” said Leo.

“Go ahead, Selena. I’ll be right here if there’s trouble,” Corrin assured.

“Yeah, thanks,” she said, snatching Lucina’s arm and tugging her away from the other nobles.

“Severa! What is going on?” Lucina asked. Severa didn’t answer, but dragged her far out of the nobles’ earshot, though she didn’t dare leave their sight. Lucina continued to ask questions. “What was that talk of Einherjar? Do they mistake me for a spirit? Severa, we must go back, I must explain that I—”

“Lucina. Do you remember how you got here?”

They finally stopped. Lucina blinked, her eyes clouded with confusion. “I… now that you mention it, it’s strange. I remember where I was before; I remember being in camp with my father and the others. But I can’t recall the journey here. There was no Outrealm gate, I merely heard my name called, and… now I’m here.” She rubbed one of her temples while the other hand rested on her sword hilt. “Could this be similar to what Robin experienced? Some form of amnesia?”

Severa only gathered a vague idea of what Lucina was saying. She needed to figure out how to deal with this apparition, and fast. Think, goddamn it! How had they sealed the other Einherjar away back in the Outrealms? She remembered having to fight them, of course, but most of them came right back after defeat. Plus, this one wasn’t an obvious spirit like the others; she looked like a normal flesh-and-blood person with no weird glowing aura or anything like that. Severa couldn’t be sure if fighting her would solve anything. But what other option did she have?

“Severa?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you had any memory of our journey here.”

“Oh.” Shit. “I… yeah, don’t you remember? We’re, uh, visiting this palace that we defended from a Risen attack last night. After the fight, the residents hosted a celebration for us, and you had _way_ too much to drink. Yeah, turns out Ylisse’s darling princess is a total lightweight, ha!” Severa’s laugh shot through the air too loudly, and she feared that even Lucina would be able to see through her obvious lie.

But Lucina was as inept at reading people as ever. “I.. drank last night? I suppose that would explain the memory loss, but… I don’t feel as though I’m recovering from inebriation.”

“Well, that’s—I don’t know, maybe you forgot this morning, too? You were moaning and groaning about your head until noon, ugh! It was starting to give _me_ a headache. Hey, I have an idea, why don’t we spar? Right here and now?”

“What? Right now?” Lucina’s brow furrowed. “I’m sorry, Severa, but I’d really like to get my bearings first. I should find my father, as well—”

“Nonsense! Swinging your sword is the best way to wake yourself up, right?” At this, Severa swung her sword in a wide arc towards Lucina.

But Lucina was fast; she leapt backwards, beyond the reach of the blade. “Severa! Are you mad?” She drew Falchion, which gleamed in the afternoon sun, even more brilliant than Severa recalled. But she could not balk; fighting this specter was the only possible solution she could imagine. So she swung again, this time striking against Falchion.

“Enough of this!” Lucina shouted. “Severa, I don’t want to hurt you!” But Severa could not hear her cries over her own warring thoughts. This was wrong, this was so wrong, what if Lucina hadn’t dodged that first strike? The blade would have buried itself in her belly, and the image of her Exalt bleeding out, _really_ bleeding out, would stain Severa’s mind for the rest of her life.

But she had no choice. She knew what could happen if she let an Einherjar go rogue. Drawn to the image of a fabled hero, warriors flocked to join their cause, which was as much of an illusion as the spirit itself. The resulting carnage, however, was not. Even worse was the fact that Einherjar seemed to have a talent for finding others like them and either banding together or clashing in endless conflict.

Severa knew the real Lucina would never start conflict without cause. But this was an Einherjar, a living weapon whose instinct was to battle. Corrin’s injuries were proof of that.

Falchion danced in her direction, but Severa managed to either parry or avoid her foe’s blows. If she were a few years younger, she wouldn’t stand a chance; Lucina was the better fighter, and she stood much taller than Severa, even still. But Severa was accustomed to Lucina’s fighting style, whereas the mercenary had picked up several new techniques in her years away from home. If anything, they now stood on equal ground. Indeed, Lucina seemed to be struggling to block some of Severa’s strikes.

She could do it. She could kill Lucina. She could save her from another war.

“Severa!” Lucina would not stop calling her name, gods, she would not stop. She shouted other things, but Severa still did not listen. Each of Severa’s strikes came harder and harder, the clash of their blades reverberating in her chest and rattling her heart. Her confusion and terror became consumed with a growing rage. How dare this phantom come to torment her, how dare it steal her Exalt’s face, her voice, her hands, her eyes. _Fuck_ this bastardized copy of a hero, _fuck_ the wretch who had shaped that carving with his grimy, perverse fingers, and _fuck_ Lucina for ever being kind to her, for searing herself into Severa’s heart like a hot brand.

Severa turned Lucina’s size against her and knocked her to the ground. Falchion flew from Lucina’s grasp and landed with a sad _thump_ into the dirt, its shine now concealed in dust. Severa seized the opportunity and trapped her foe beneath her, arms pinned between knees. This was her chance. She could kill her now. She could banish her back to that hideous effigy. Lucina stared with wide eyes, helpless against the blade Severa raised for the final strike.

Severa shut her eyes, plunged her blade before her, and screamed. She felt the tip bury itself deep into the earth.

Her breath trembled against her own lips. She opened her eyes, but hot tears made her vision swim. She wiped them away and snivelled. It was like being a child again.

“Selena!” Corrin’s voice carried to Severa’s ears, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps. “Thank the gods, I thought—oh. Are you, um… alright?”

She stared at the girl beneath her. The edge of Severa’s sword pressed against her captive’s cheek closely enough to draw blood. Lucina’s chest struggled to rise and fall against Severa’s weight. It was almost as though her spirit could breathe.

Severa pulled her sword from the soil and stood over her victim. Her own voice rang hollow in her ears. “Do what lord Corrin says. But stay away from me.”

“Severa…”

“You’re confused. My name is Selena.”

“What?”

Severa snorted. “You don’t know me. And I don’t know you. So stay away from me.”

Lucina moved to stand, but winced and stumbled back to the ground. Severa turned to leave, unable to watch any longer. Lucina reached for her. “Severa, wait! Please, I—”

But Severa did not stop. Her form retreated until Lucina could not bear to look any more.

“Come on. Let’s get you to a… er, a healer, I guess.” The armor-clad woman beside her—Corrin, she supposed—offered a hand. Lucina took it without a word, without a thought, and without taking a last look at the lock of hair Severa’s sword had cut.


	2. Chapter 2

The gentle tug of bristles through hair was endlessly calming. Lady Camilla’s hair, though impossibly thick, was long since rid of every tangle thanks to Severa’s care. However, Severa needed the distraction, and Camilla was happy to comply.

Severa was thankful for moments of true silence such as this, when the only sounds were Camilla’s fingers leafing through a novel and the occasional sigh. Even Severa’s thoughts, lately plagued by guilt and longing, eased into a quiet murmur, focused on the feeling of silken locks between her fingertips.

But Severa knew better than most that all good things must come to an end. When Camilla shut her book with a final, long sigh, Severa threw her walls back up, and all of her unspoken troubles sparked back to life.

“I heard you were involved in a little spat yesterday, my dear,” said Camilla. “May I ask what that was about?”

She likely knew the answer, especially since the incident had put Corrin in danger. Yet for whatever reason, Camilla always seemed to value Severa’s perspective.

“There was an accident involving some weird totem lord Corrin and prince Leo found. It summoned a hostile spirit that attacked Corrin. I saw what was happening and jumped in to try and stop her.” Severa scoffed and tugged the brush with a little more force. “It was stupid. They tried to reason with her, but Einherjar don’t think like us, you know? They just want a battle to fight.”

“‘Her’, hmm?” Camilla played with the edges of her book’s pages. Severa frowned. “Leo has informed me that defeating the phantom swayed her allegiance towards you. Yet from what I understand, you haven’t interacted with her since your first encounter. May I ask why that—Selena? Are you alright?”

Severa had stopped brushing mid-stroke. She stared forward at nothing in particular, her brow furrowed. “Her… her ‘allegiance’? What are you saying?”

“Well,” Camilla said, turning her chair to face her vassal, “from what my dear brother told me, because you were the one to defeat her in combat, she is bound to obey your every command.” She chuckled and pinched Severa’s cheek. “How cute, my little Selena has a retainer of her very own! Shall I find a craftsman to measure you for a new crown?”

“That’s…” _That’s all wrong,_ Severa wanted to say, _Lucina is the leader, not me._ What’s more, the mercenary never followed Lucina against her will.

But Severa served Camilla now, not Lucina, regardless of whether the latter was real or not. Though, of course, that didn’t justify her sudden power over the former lord.

Camilla hummed, her finger tapping her chin. “Do you think she’d like being in our little fold, with you and Beruka and me? She’s very pretty. I think she might be my type.”

Severa rolled her eyes. “Ugh, don’t make it weird. Anyway, you say that about every girl you see! If I didn’t know you any better, I’d swear you were worse than Laslow’s kid.”

Camilla laughed. “Even I couldn’t hope to match the pace of that one’s sapphic courtship. All the same, perhaps you could ask your new friend to keep a distance from Soleil? If only to improve my chances.”

“Lady Camilla…”

“I’m only teasing, darling. I know better than to compete with you.”

“Th-that’s not what I—!”

Camilla chucked again and stood. “I’m sorry, the two of you just seemed so familiar, the way my Corrin described it.” She hooked a finger under Severa’s chin and tilted it to face the towering woman. “You should talk to her. She seemed so lost when I saw her, I couldn’t bear it. Promise me?”

“Yes, lady Camilla,” Severa said automatically.

“That’s my Selena. Now, I must be off. The new stable boy doesn’t know how to groom a wyvern, and I rather think he might lose a hand if he tries. You know how humans make her tummy ache.” She bid farewell with a flourish and a wink. “I’ll leave you to it. Best of luck with your friend.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

But even as her lord vanished through the doorway, even as Severa bowed her head in deference, she knew this was one request she could not honor. _Gods, I’m such an idiot…_ There goes her title as Camilla’s most loyal servant. It figured that it would take something as bizarre as a visit from her former liege to shake her will.

The hairbrush’s wooden handle creaked in her grasp. “I’m sorry…” she muttered, whether to Camilla or to Lucina, she didn’t know.

She returned the brush to the vanity’s surface. She considered running, if only to escape for a few hours, but she feared she may be mistaken for a deserter, and she wasn’t quite miserable enough to face the traitor’s noose just yet. Better to ask Corrin to put her on tonight’s watch. At least whoever she got stuck with would likely know better than to attempt to converse with her.

\--

Having watch duty so late at night turned out to be a better plan than anticipated. After being awake in the small hours of the morning, her superiors permitted her to sleep for the better part of the day; thus, she avoided running into a certain noble—and anyone else, for that matter. She should have asked to take the night’s watch ages ago.

As the position was generally considered undesirable, however, her companion tended to change every night. Tonight she was to be joined by Keaton.

 _Assuming he shows up at all,_ she thought. If left unchecked, Keaton tended to wander in every direction but where he was ordered to go. Not that Severa particularly minded; he was chattier than most others, and gods knew she was in no mood for his antics.

She sighed and leaned against the railing of the watch tower. It was a good thing there were no forests around, she thought, or she’d fear an arrow whistling toward her from the cover of trees. Her fingertips rapped against wood. Then again, it would certainly be more exciting than wasting away in this godsforsaken tower. The night watch spared her unpleasant encounters with the others, but it was also incredibly boring.

And lonely, she supposed.

She heard the creak of wooden stairs behind her. She stood up straight, scoffed, and started to turn. “Done chasing rabbits, are you? It’s about time you showed—”

She froze. It wasn’t Keaton staring back at her.

Lucina didn’t say anything to her, nor did she move from her position at the top of the stairs. She returned Severa’s stare with one that was unreadable. Her posture was as impeccable as ever, back perfectly straight and head held high. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, just as it always did. There was even a gentle breeze to make her cape and hair sway in the wind.

And there Severa was, jaw hanging open like a trout.

“Your appointed partner is sick from biting into a venomous snake,” she finally said. “Lord Corrin bid I replace him for the night.”

Severa blinked. “Oh.” And that was all she could say.

Silence again. Neither of them moved a muscle. Severa gulped. What was Lucina waiting for?

“You… told me to stay away from you,” she said, as though Severa had wondered aloud.

“Oh,” Severa repeated. “That. Well, if Corrin wants you to be here, then it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Very well.”

Still, even after treading to her place at the edge of the watch tower, Lucina kept her distance.

Severa supposed it was for the best.

She turned away to look out over the railing again, returning to her vigil.

Yet no matter how hard she peered into the darkness, no matter how thick the silence between them grew, Severa’s thoughts had been spurred into action. Her mind revisited the vision of Lucina pinned beneath her, Severa’s blade cutting into her stunned face. If only she’d had the resolve to end it there, to slice Lucina’s phantom until it was nothing but a shimmering mist.

She stole a glance at her companion. The wound was gone, but part of her hair stuck out, a lock lost in the aftermath.

“I’m sorry.” The words left her lips before she could stop them.

Lucina looked to her as though unsure she’d heard correctly, her brow knitted.

“For what?”

“For—you know. For trying to kill you, that whole thing.” Severa felt her protective walls shake and shudder.

“Oh. That.” Lucina looked outwards again. “I understand. I don’t belong here, yet here I am. You panicked. I would have, as well.”

“But you wouldn’t have tried to murder someone,” said Severa, her voice tremulous.

“But that’s just it, isn’t it? It can’t be murder if a person isn’t real. I never hunger, I never physically tire, I was healed by a mage’s spell in place of a healer’s staff…” Lucina lifted a hand to examine it, to watch her fingers bend and straighten. “I’m not real, am I? I’m just a well-crafted illusion. An Einherjar. It can’t be murder.”

Severa’s fists curled against her forearms. “You don’t know anything,” she muttered.

“You’re right. I don’t know where we are. I don’t know who we’re fighting, or whether we’re at war. I don’t even…” She threw an arm forward and gestured into the abyss of night. “I don’t even know what we’re watching for!”

“What did you want me to do? Should I have told you what was going on? ‘Oh, hi, Lucina, good to see you! By the way, the war is over, you’re a ghost or something, and all your memories are fake! Wanna hit up the bathhouse and catch up on the latest gossip?’”

“Yes, Severa! I would have liked to know _something_ before I spent the next three days wandering in the dark!” Lucina turned sharply towards her then, and a crack formed in Severa’s walls. “The last I remember before coming here, we were preparing our assault on Validar and his forces. My father was still alive, and we had the Fire Emblem in our possession. Then out of the blue I hear a voice, and the next thing I know I’m in the middle of this strange fortress surrounded by people I’ve never seen trying to tell me what to do. When you appeared I thought things would start to make sense, but I’ve never been more confused in my life!

“Since then I’ve tried to piece together where I am, what happened, whether Father is safe, but everyone I’ve asked has given me such a strange look, I—” She broke off with a shuddering breath, and Severa realized she was crying.

Severa didn’t know what to say. What could be said when someone she knew to be a pillar of strength was crumbling before her? She could summon fierce, biting words, certainly, but she didn’t want those, that wasn’t her, not in this moment.

Her hand seemed to float of its own accord, reaching towards the one that wasn’t wiping away tears. She curled it around Lucina’s and gave a gentle squeeze.

“Look, I…” Gods, let this be the right thing to say, for once. “I messed up. I got scared, and you got hurt. I should have been happy to see you, but instead I… I panicked, I guess. And I’m sorry.”

Lucina sniffled loudly. “I’m sorry, too. You shouldn’t have to see me like this. I’m certain this hasn’t been easy for you, either.”

Severa gave a mirthless laugh. “Yeah, but that’s not really anything new. And I know I just apologized, like, two seconds ago, but I’m sorry for being such a worthless friend. The worst friend, probably.”

“You’re not—” Lucina started, but halted, apparently rescinding her judgement. “Well. You haven’t exactly been an exceptional friend for the past several days.”

“Yeah. I get that. But, uh, if it makes you feel any better, Chrom is fine, or was when I last saw him, anyway.”

“That’s… a small comfort, at the very least. Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Somehow, they found their way to silence once again. Lucina busied herself with wiping away the remainder of her tears. Severa worried her lip. She was anxious to say something else, but she beat back the urge, lest she make an even bigger fool of herself.

Lucina, however, had no such reservations.

“Perhaps… it is best that we start over, so to speak? Put this whole incident behind us?”

She ran her thumb across Severa’s fingers, and Severa realized with a blush that she had never let go of her hand.

“Uh… okay, if you’re sure don’t hate me, or whatever.”

Lucina smiled for the first time since her arrival. “I couldn’t hate you, Severa. You’re too dear to me.”

Severa spluttered at that, mumbling something she hoped resembled disapproval, but she couldn’t be sure.

Lucina chuckled softly. “In any case, I have an idea of how we can begin.”

Severa felt her blush spread to her ears. Thank the gods it was dim in the flickering torchlight. “Um… okay? What did you have in mind?”

Lucina’s smile widened. She squeezed Severa’s hand and tugged her closer, pulling her into an embrace. Severa stopped breathing entirely, her entire body tensing in Lucina’s grasp.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” breathed Lucina.

Head tucked under the noble’s chin, Severa bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly against the tears welling in her eyes. Slowly, the tension in her muscles eased, and her arms wrapped around the princess’s waist. She imagined she returned the gesture with far too much familiarity for one who couldn’t remember the last time she had been so close to anyone, but she didn’t care; for now, she let her walls melt away at Lucina’s touch.

 _Me too,_ she thought. She prayed the thought was loud enough for Lucina to hear.

Lucina’s hands lingered on Severa’s after they withdrew from one another, but Severa pulled them away to dry her weeping eyes.

“You mentioned something about the war being over?” Lucina inquired.

“Oh,” said Severa, “yeah, I should probably stop whining and catch you up on everything you missed, huh?”

“If you are willing to share, I would appreciate it.”

Severa snickered. “You’re in luck, then; my schedule’s totally free for the next couple of hours!”


	3. Chapter 3

“Ah, there you are, Selena.” Leo slipped a bookmark into the tome he had been studying and stood up. “I apologize for disappearing during your… intervention with the Einherjar, but I wanted to start researching what I could as soon as possible.”

“It’s fine, obviously it turned out okay,” said Severa. “So, you sent for me, right? What do you want?”

“I only wanted to speak with you. As I said, I’ve been reading up on different forms of Einherjar. As it turns out, totem variants like the one we discovered are one of the more powerful kinds. They can remain summoned for years at a time, if the enchantment is strong enough.”

“Gods, that’s…” _That’s terrifying,_ she wanted to say, visions of the bloodied Outrealms in the forefront of her memory. She had seen more than enough Einherjar-related conflict to imagine the ruin caused by even stronger warriors.  

“Yes, it’s impressively powerful magic. We’re lucky to have one on our side, though it seems they have some limitations not seen in the more common card variants.” He looked down to his notes, scribbled in the margins of the tome. “For instance, they cannot communicate directly from their totem, and they tend not to retain their memory after dying or being desummoned. For the sake of convenience, we should avoid rebinding her to her totem.”

“Got it. Is that all?”

“Not exactly.” He closed the tome and stepped away from the table. “I have a few concerns about you and the Einherjar we acquired.”

Severa groaned internally. _This can’t be good._

“I’ve heard that you’ve become rather close with her. One of our guardsmen said he spotted you two embracing while on night watch duty, and Corrin informs me that Lucina speaks highly of you on a regular basis.”

Severa flushed beet red. “Th-that was nothing! What that guy saw, it was just—wait, what exactly did she say about me?”

“I don’t remember the details,” he replied, waving a hand. “The point I’d like to make is this: be wary of growing close to her. Einherjar don’t think or feel the way we do; their actions revolve around serving their masters, and they can’t always comprehend that this isn’t their world.”

Severa’s breath caught in her throat. Visions of Lucina’s tears swam through her mind. _“Since then I’ve tried to piece together where I am, what happened, whether Father is safe, but everyone I’ve asked has given me such a strange look, I—”_

“I’m not asking you to be cruel. I’m only warning you.” Leo stepped away from her, beginning to pace. “Imagine if you cared deeply for this ‘Lucina’ until one day her totem fell into enemy hands. She may obey them and fight against you. Could you handle that? Would you be able to strike her down were she your enemy?”

_“Enough of this! Severa, I don’t want to hurt you!”_

“She’s not mortal, Selena, let alone human. Like it or not, she is little more than a weapon.”  

_“I’m not real, am I? I’m just a well-crafted illusion. An Einherjar.”_

Her hands had been so warm around Severa’s that night. Had that been an illusion, too?

“...Selena? Are you listening?”

“I get it,” she said. “You don’t have to tell me twice. Are we done here?”

Leo sighed sharply. “Yes, I suppose we must be. I apologize for distracting you.” At this, he gathered his tome, turned on his heel, and exited the room without another word.

Well. Time to leave, then.

 --

The sun was blistering that day. Severa worked with a small group on repairing a bit of the outer wall some of the mages had accidentally blown up. As she hauled the damaged segments of stone away from the site, she wished it was hot enough to fry her brain so she wouldn’t have to think about what Leo said.

Severa ground her teeth as she conceded his point. She had no business making friends with echoes of her past, real or not. That was why she had left Ylisse, after all; to start anew. She needed to move forward, a feat an Einherjar was incapable of doing.

 _At least Owain and Inigo haven’t made a big deal out of it,_ she thought. When she first arrived in Nohr, she had been worried that those two being here would remind her too much of home—or at the very least, pester her at every opportunity—but those two were too preoccupied with serving their charges and tending to their newfound families to bother her.

Thinking of Owain and Inigo, Severa felt the same vague, obligatory camaraderie as she did with the others. The thought of Lucina, however, roused an ache she thought she had long since left behind.

So, then, that was that. She couldn’t let herself become any closer with Lucina, if only for the sake of her mental health, or personal growth, or whatever the hell it was called. She wouldn’t ignore Lucina entirely as she had before; rather, their relationship would be strictly professional. It shouldn’t be hard considering Severa had done the same before making the leap to Nohr.

On impulse, she glanced to where Lucina worked several dozen feet away. The noble girl smiled when she noticed. Severa’s throat tightened.

She had promised they could start over. But what was a promise to a phantom?

She averted her eyes and dumped the stone fragments. She hated herself for going back and forth on this issue. She hated this war between her brain and her—ugh, her heart, as humiliating as it was to think it. Truly, the gods must have put her on this earth as some hilarious joke that she didn’t get. Why else would she just so happen to bump into a cheap imitation of her former liege? The only thing worse would be if, gods forbid, her _mother_ showed up.

She nearly glanced at Lucina again, but fought the urge, lest she catch sight of what had no doubt turned into an expression of disappointment.

“Guh!” Someone standing before her dropped their load of stones, jarring Severa from her ruminations.

“Whew! Well, that wasn’t so hard.” Soleil wiped her brow with her sleeve. She locked eyes with Severa and brightened. “Oh, Selena! I didn’t realize you were around.”

“We both work here, idiot.”

“Right, of course.” Soleil laughed it off. She was marginally less annoying than her father, but annoying nonetheless. “You know, your hair looks lovely in the light of the dawn. It’s like…” She held her hand aloft, evoking Ophelia or Odin. “A halo of ruby threads encircling the visage of an angel.” She opened her eyes. “Er… an angry angel, judging by that scowl.”

“Consider me an angel of wrath that’s gonna rain fire on your head if you don’t get out of my way,” Severa growled through her teeth. 

Soleil chuckled nervously. “Sorry, sorry. I just—“ Whatever she was going to say next was caught in a sudden gasp—and Severa, in a sudden grasp.

“Ugh, Soleil! Hands!”

“Who is  _ that? _ ” Soleil asked, breathless.

Severa groaned. “Gods, don’t tell me…” She followed Soleil’s gaze and, sure enough, it pointed unmistakably toward Lucina. 

“I’ve never seen her before. What strange, exotic clothes...and that wind-swept hair, so  _ cute _ —”

“Keep your shirt on, Sappho, she’s not even real. She’s just a magical projection or something.”

Soleil scoffed. “Like you need flesh and blood to like somebody! Anyway, look how sad and lonely she looks. She’s got to want a friend, right?” 

“Fine, then,” Severa snapped, “Go woo her, or whatever it is you do. See if I care!” 

The girl laughed again, and Severa was tempted to take her sword to her own ears. 

“Man, and they say jealousy makes people unattractive,” said Soleil. “Okay, then, I will follow your advice! I hope her people have a taste for tea, wherever she’s from. Thank you for the words of encouragement, Selena!” 

With that, Soleil turned with a wave and strolled over to Lucina’s side to work. 

_“Ughhhhh!”_ Severa growled. She shot a glare up to the heavens, addressing the gods. “I get it, I get it! You want me to take a vow of silence already so I don’t say something stupid every time I open my idiot mouth!” She grabbed the handles of a wheelbarrow filled with stone fragments and shoved it through the rubble with force. “Well, forget it. I bet the whole kingdom would make it a national holiday if I stopped screaming for two seconds, but you know what? I don’t think I want to give them the satisfaction, so tough luck.”

She heard a concerned voice call her name some ways away, but she didn’t care, she just didn’t _fucking_ care anymore. Fuming, she drove the wheelbarrow forward, her teeth seeming to grind as loudly as the rattling rocks within it.

\--

For as endless as the day seemed, dusk was inevitable, bringing with it the the blessing of a cool night.

Severa sat at the edge of her bed, rubbing a vulnerary mixture of aloe into her sun-ravaged flesh. She dreaded the day her skin would look as dried and shriveled as an old prune.

She wondered if Lucina had gotten sunburnt, too. Probably not; her skin was such a rich brown, the sun wouldn’t dare harm it.

She rubbed the salve into her skin a bit too vigorously, causing her to hiss in pain.

When she finished, she remained still for several minutes, relishing in the feeling of soothing balm cooling her hot skin.

 _At least Beruka isn’t here to see this,_ she thought. Her fellow retainer was out on night patrol, meaning Severa didn’t have to apologize for being an ass that morning. Then again, Severa was an ass every morning, and Beruka had been quick to grow accustomed to her partner’s attitude. She probably didn’t even care at this point.

Beruka’s absence wasn’t the only thing to celebrate. “I’m proud of you, Severa,” she said aloud to herself as she loosened the straps of her shield. “After that little encounter with Soleil, you didn’t stare at Lucina like a fool even once.” Of course, looking at Lucina would have meant seeing Soleil’s deplorable attempts at courtship, but details were details.

“Small steps, Severa,” she said.

She had started to remove her sheath from her hip when she heard hurried footsteps grow louder outside her door.

She stood and approached the room’s entrance. Who would be running through the halls at this hour? Surely the castle wasn’t under attack, or she would hear the warning bell ringing and all manner of commotion outside.

But sure enough, someone began to knock frantically at her door. Severa opened it immediately.

“Selena! Oh, thank the Fates you’re here!”

“Ophelia? What the hell is going on?”

“It’s Lucina! There’s something wrong with her! I think—I think she might be possessed by a foul spirit!”

“What—for pity’s sake, Ophelia,” Severa shouted, gripping the girl’s shoulders, “this isn’t the time for your ‘chosen one’ crap! Tell me what’s happening, right now!”

“But—” Severa glared at her, forcing Ophelia to flinch. “Alright! I don’t know what’s wrong, but she’s having trouble breathing, and she keeps trying to get away, and—and I keep telling Father we need to call one of the clerics or something, but he won’t let me, so I came to you!”

“ _Shit._ Gods, this is my fault. I’m such an idiot!” Severa tightened her sword belt and shoved past Ophelia. “Come on, before she gives herself a stupid heart attack.”

 --

“ _Stop it!_ Release me!”

The tremble in Lucina’s voice was enough to make Severa grimace. As she entered the small storage shack and left Ophelia behind, the sight of Owain grasping Lucina’s hands greeted her.

“Lucina, it’s okay! It’s me, it’s Owain, your friend! Your cousin!”

“I’d let her go, if I were you,” Severa warned.

Owain gritted his teeth. “I’m trying to show her that—OW!” Owain released Lucina and stumbled backwards. “She stomped on my foot!”

“It’s better than you deserve, genius.”

She turned her attention to Lucina. The noble was a complete wreck. Her posture, normally tall and proud, seemed crumpled and broken, her back stooped against the far wall and her head held in her hands. She covered her ears, and her fingers curled into her hairline, kneading and scratching. There were no tears, but her every breath trembled, and Severa had to pay attention to her own breathing to keep hers from doing the same.

“What’s wrong with her? Can we do anything?” asked Owain.

“I—it’s just a panic attack, right? It should pass on its own, unless you keep harassing her.”

“I can’t just stand here watching her unravel! There must be something we can do to help her!” Owain turned on Severa then, grabbing her forearms, his eyes searching hers desperately. “You’ve seen her like this before, right? Back at home? What do we do?”

She pushed him off. “I don’t know! I ran away the last time this happened!”

“You—what? Why? How could you—”

“Stop it!” Lucina shouted again, “Just stop—stop talking, I can’t think!”

“This is fucked up, okay?” Severa whispered furiously to Owain, gesturing toward Lucina. “Yeah, I’ve seen her break down before, but it scared the shit out of me! I didn’t know what was happening! So I ran and got help, just like you did!”

“Okay,” he said. “Okay. And what did they do to help her?”

“Uh… I think Libra told her to focus on her breathing? Like, count to ten or something? And then he started asking her really dumb questions?”

Owain gripped his twitching dominant arm and looked to Lucina again. “You should do it. I’ve disturbed her enough.”

Severa scoffed. “Me? Are you joking? I’m the last person to send to calm someone down. No way.”

“But you’re the best friend she has here, aren’t you? Surely the power of your friendship can overcome any—”

“Gods, don’t start with me. _Fine._ I’ll do it. But when I inevitably make things worse and she passes out on us, I’m blaming you.”

As she approached the shivering girl, she tried to recall the simple questions Libra had asked the princess during her last episode.

Lucina now sat upon the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs. She wasn’t hyperventilating quite as much, at least, though tears had finally sprung to her eyes. Severa crouched so that she could be eye level with Lucina. She scowled and concentrated on making her tone as edgeless as possible.

“Hey,” she said. “Lucina?”

Lucina didn’t answer, but Severa heard her breathing freeze.

She tried again. “Can you hear me?”

Lucina released a quivering breath and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

 _She looks so real._ The thought sprang to Severa’s mind from seemingly nowhere. _She acts so real._

“Do you know my name?” Severa asked.

Lucina turned her head away. “Selena…”

Severa didn’t know why the name hurt so much coming from her. She swallowed and shook her head.

“No. My _real_ name. The one you know.”

Glassy eyes finally darted towards her. “Severa.”

“That’s right.” Severa offered a weak smile. “You’re doing really good. Can you tell me where you are?”

“Um,” Lucina’s gaze darted about. She seemed sharper now, Severa realized. “A storage room. Near the stables, by the smell of it.”

“Heh. Yep, you’ve got it. Can you stand up?”

“I—yes, of course.”

Without meeting her friend’s gaze, Lucina took Severa’s hand and stood.

“How are you feeling now?” whispered Severa.

“I… I don’t know. I…” Lucina shuddered. “I have to get out of here. Please…”

“Okay. Yeah. We can totally do that. Where do you want to go?”

Lucina blinked. Then she sniveled and wiped her eyes. “Never mind. It’s foolish.”

“Don’t be stupid. We’ll go wherever you want, okay?”

Lucina bit her lip. Severa noted that her panic seemed to have largely settled, though of course she was still visibly uncomfortable. When she finally spoke, her voice cracked.

“I want to go home.”

Something inside Severa sunk so far, she half expected to descend into the dirt herself. She had heard those words so many times, uttered by herself, by her comrades, always as they huddled in the ruins of some Risen-pillaged town or surrounded by heroes that were not truly their parents. But never had she heard those words from Lucina’s mouth.

“I know,” said Lucina. “It’s impossible. It isn’t even my home. Not really. Perhaps if I were—”

Her face contorted into a pained expression.

 _If you were the real Lucina,_ Severa completed the thought.

She feared Lucina might relapse and break down again, but she seemed determined to fight it.

“Well,” Severa offered. “We can’t do that, but… maybe I can take you to your room? You’re probably pretty tired anyway, huh?”

“Ah,” said Lucina, as though remembering something. “This is my room.”

“This—” Any gentleness in Severa’s voice vanished. “What? They gave you this dump to stay in? Why didn’t you—” She spun her glare around to target the former prince. “Owain! You didn’t offer your room to her or _anything?”_

Owain nearly leapt when she hissed his name. “I-I did! But she said she didn’t want to impose!”

“Because that’s the polite thing to say, idiot! Ugh, _men_.” Severa rubbed her brow and turned back to Lucina. “Look, you can stay in my room, alright? Beruka won’t mind, and I promise you’re not ‘imposing’ or whatever. Got it?”

“But—”

“No buts! Don’t make me make that an order!”

To Severa’s astonishment, Lucina actually managed a chuckle through her tears. “Very well. If you feel it appropriate.”

“I do, in fact,” Severa said with a scoff. “Come on, then, let’s get going. And don’t wander off; you could get lost for days if you just strut around the castle without knowing where you’re going.”

“All right, then. I will stay close. Lead the way.” As she spoke, she gripped one of Severa’s hands and squeezed, subsequently squeezing a blush out of her companion’s face.

“R-right. Good idea.” Thank the gods they both wore gloves, lest Lucina have to touch Severa’s sweat-slick palms. She thought to say something else, but concealed it by clearing her throat.

“See you, Lucina!” Owain called after their retreating forms. “I hope you feel—uh, I mean, best of luck banishing whatever demons were—” He broke off with a curse and hissed to himself. “Damn it, what am I trying to say here?”

“Thank you,” Lucina breathed. Severa assumed it to be directed to her cousin, but then she felt Lucina’s grip tighten once again.

\--

Lucina stared over the railing for a very long time. Not that Severa could blame her; Castle Krakenberg surely had the strangest architecture either of them had ever seen. The entire structure was built into the walls of a deep crater, with bridges crossing the distance every here and there.

“It’s incredible,” Lucina finally muttered. She looked over her shoulder to Severa. “How far down does it go?”

“Heck if I know. I try not to think about the gaping chasm that’s a few steps from my bedroom door.” Severa made a point to lean against the wall a safe distance from the edge. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know. Less afraid, I think. But…”

Severa waited for her to finish her thought, but there was only silence. She sighed. “Not that it’s my business, but if it’s something I can help with…” She crossed her arms and looked away. “You can talk to me about anything, you know. If you need to.”

“Thank you.”

They returned to silence, for a time. Severa watched lights flicker off as the night advanced and the castle’s residents went to bed. Somehow, a cool breeze found its way down the pit, making her shiver.

“May I ask you an unusual question?” Lucina said.

Severa’s arms crossed a little more tightly. “Sure.”

“Could you tell me my mother’s name?”

“...What?”

Lucina turned to face Severa. “My mother. I have memories of her, from before she died and during the war, but when I try to picture her face or recall her name, I… I simply can’t. It is lost to me.”

“How is that possible? You remember Chrom, don’t you? And obviously you remember Inigo, Owain, and me.”

“I don’t know why this particular gap in my memory exists, but maybe if I’m told her name...” She paused to take a deep breath, and Severa realized she was still very much shaken. “Please. I must know.”

But when Severa spoke the name, Lucina’s look of puzzlement only intensified.

“Why?” she whispered. “It’s not as though I don’t remember that name or face, but when I try to place her as my mother, the memories become a haze again. Am I truly—” Lucina broke off and shivered. She clutched her chest and grimaced as though pained.

Panic flared within Severa. She darted forward to steady Lucina, lest she tumble down to the crater’s depths.

“Hey, shh, it’s okay,” said Severa. To her relief, Lucina did not push her away, but gripped her comrade by her forearms as though to balance herself.

“I’m fine,” she muttered. “Don’t trouble yourself over me.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll just let you tear yourself apart in peace. What are friends for?” Severa sighed in exasperation. “Is this what got you so worked up before? Because gods know I’d give an arm to forget about Cordelia.”

Lucina shrunk at this. Severa grimaced. _Nice one, jerk,_ she thought. _You managed to belittle her feelings_ and _make this about you._

“I suppose it was a contributing factor, yes. I just…” Lucina paused to release Severa and take another steadying breath. “I know I said before that I’m not real, and I likely made it sound as though I understood what that meant, but somehow it didn’t truly sink in until now. I’m not human, and I never was. These memories aren’t real, and the ones that I have are more deeply flawed than a real person’s should be. I realize now why you look at me the way you do, with your gaze so leaden with pain. You must be so disappointed.”

Severa flinched. She wanted to deny it, but for once Lucina’s reading was spot-on.

“Do not mistake me; I don’t blame you for feeling cheated. In a way, I cannot help but feel shortchanged myself.” She turned to look out over the castle again. For a time, she said nothing. Another breeze caught wisps of her hair, and Severa remembered that night on the watchtower.

More lights dimmed before she spoke again. “Forgetting my mother isn’t all that made me ‘worked up’. When I realized I couldn’t remember her, when I realized that I am truly a mere phantom, every implication of my situation overwhelmed me.” She laughed humorlessly. “It’s so strange. I had planned to disappear after Grima’s defeat, to leave Mother and Father to their own lives, but this change is so sudden. My purpose has become so unclear. That is, assuming I have a purpose at all, anymore.”

“You did disappear…”

Lucina looked to her friend again. “What?”

It felt as though a hand gripped Severa’s heart. “After the war. You disappeared, like you just said. Nobody has a clue where you are. Do you…” Before she could catch and crush it, a faint hope fluttered just out of reach. “Do you know where you might have gone? Did you ever actually think about where you’d go after we slew Grima?”

Lucina knit her brow. “No, I don’t believe so. I was too preoccupied trying to protect Father and build a safer future. I don’t recall making any concrete plans.”

“I see,” Severa said tersely. “Well, at least I won’t be as tempted to return to Ylisse, knowing that.”

Lucina averted her gaze, looking downwards. “I’m sorry.”

Something pricked in Severa’s eyes. Alarmed, her defenses finally kicked in and whirred to life.

She laughed bitterly and suddenly, earning a stare from Lucina. “This is so stupid, you know?” said Severa. “First I get flack from Leo for treating you like a person, and then I convince myself that, hey, he’s right, what am I doing acting like friendship matters? So I decide that I’ll just ignore you, because _obviously_ that’s worked so well for me in the past, and then I promptly get pissed at Soleil for eyeballing you, even though obviously I shouldn’t care at this point. And to top it off, all that self-motivating talk justifying me treating you like crap had, like, zero effect, because here we are having this philosophical discussion about, I don’t know, existentialism or something equally weird and stupid.

“You know what? I don’t even care anymore! I don’t care if you’re human, or a ghost, or a projection, or a hallucination, or whatever! Whoever or whatever you are, you have real, actual feelings, and every time I see you hurt I feel just as terrible as when—” Whoops, looks like those defenses crumbled pretty quickly. Might as well finish the job, Severa thought, swallowing hard before continuing. “...as when we were back in Ylisse, and—and you were trying to save the world all by yourself.”

“Severa…” Lucina reached for her, but Severa kept her arms crossed and turned her flushed cheek. Lucina’s hand fell, as did her gaze.

“I wasn’t alone,” she said softly. “I had you by my side.”

“Hah. Some support I was. I barely spoke to you once we made the jump to the past. No wonder you took off without telling anyone once the dust settled.”

Lucina shook her head. “It was a chaotic time. We were all preoccupied.”

“I guess. Yeah.” Severa tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I keep wondering if you would have stuck around if I’d said something. I don’t know.”

“You could say it now.”

Severa finally looked to Lucina again and blinked. “Uh, now?”

“Of course. ‘Better late than never,’ isn’t that what they say?”

“I mean, it’s not like I would have said anything special.” Nevertheless, Severa’s heart felt as though it pounded against her ribcage. “I just would have told you that you were never alone. I know you thought you had to shoulder the world’s burdens on your own, but any one of us would have gladly shouldered it right along with you, if you had just given us the chance. I know I would have.”

Lucina’s nervous fingers fiddled with the hilt of her sword. “And now?”

Severa scoffed. “Obviously. Why do you think I dragged you away from that gross shack?”

Lucina released a breath Severa didn’t know she had been holding. “Thank you, Severa,” she said. “You’ve no idea how much that means to me.”

Heat flooded Severa’s face. Once again, she thanked the gods it was too dim for anyone to see.

“Though I do suppose the burden of saving our futures is much lighter now,” said Lucina. “All the same, knowing we are friends is no small comfort.”

Severa laughed. “Oh, trust me, we’ll have our share of trials and tribulations in Nohr. I mean, we are living in a literal hole in the ground.”

Lucina echoed her friend’s chuckle. “Well, perhaps it’s my ignorance of the place, but it seems much less intimidating in the presence of a friend.”

“Gods, I can’t believe I forgot how sappy you can get. Anyway, we should probably go to bed. My nose is gonna freeze and fall off if we stay out here any longer.” Then she remembered. “Uh… did you say you don’t need to sleep? Sorry, I’m not really versed in Einherjar customs.”

Lucina laughed again. “Well, yes and no. I don’t have to sleep, but I usually can if I wish. It helps me to relax.”

“Alright. Just checking.”

They shuffled into Severa’s room, leaving the frigid cavern of a courtyard (if it could even be counted as such) behind them. Within Severa’s quarters, there wasn’t very much space for two people to move about very freely, let alone three, but it didn’t feel right to allow her former liege to sleep a mere wall away from the horses.

Severa changed into a loose shirt and breeches, while Lucina stripped down to her pleated undershirt and pants—which, Severa realized with mild horror, was a single connected article of clothing. Idly, she wondered when the last time that thing had been washed. Then again, maybe Einherjar didn’t need to worry about that sort of thing.

“Beruka’s out for the night, so one of us can sleep in her bed. Tomorrow we can see about getting a third cot,” said Severa.

“Um, actually,” said Lucina, “this may be an odd request, but could we perhaps… share a bed, just for tonight?”

“Sure, we can—” Severa froze. Now in a small, well-lit room, the mercenary’s beet-red face was on full display. “Uh. What was that?”

“We don’t have to do it if you think it inappropriate,” Lucina said quickly. “It’s just that I… well, I have memories of waking up from night terrors when I was very small. I... I think I had a sibling that would come in and stay close to me on those nights. It’s a vague memory, to be certain, and it is from when I was very small but… it’s comforting, I feel.” She shook her head as though to dispel a thought. “But as I said, if you are uneasy—”

“No, no, it’s fine. It’s just—” Severa swallowed. “You just surprised me, is all. But, yeah, we can do that, if you think it’ll make you feel better. It’s the least I can do.”

Lucina’s smile was serene, despite the lingering redness in her eyes. “You do not owe me anything, but...thank you.”

“Anytime,” Severa said instinctively before feeling her blush deepen even further. “I-I mean—don’t get used to this! This is just because you’ve had a rough night. Beruka’s cot probably smells terrible, anyway.”

Lucina chuckled. “I understand. Either way, I am grateful.”

She sat upon the edge of the bed and slid over so that she was closest to the stone wall. Severa cleared her throat and took her place beside the princess. She quickly turned so that she faced away from Lucina, towards the center of the room.

“Goodnight, Severa. And thank you.”

“Goodnight, Lucina.”

At that, Severa, acutely aware of the heat of Lucina’s back against her own, reached over and dimmed the lantern, knowing full well she would not catch even a moment of sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what Leo's personality is but he seems like an egg


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Fates was released in the US since I last updated, I've gone and changed all names to their localized forms. Also, I edited Soleil's dialogue in the previous chapter to be more true to her character in the English version of Fates.

It had been a week and a half since Severa woke up with a sleeping Lucina’s arm draped over her waist. With the exception of Severa’s flustered behavior following the incident, her relationship with Lucina settled into something resembling normalcy.

Presently, she found herself standing before the weaponsmith’s shop. Her orders today were to drill some of the newer recruits in the barracks, but she had been thinking of replacing her silver sword with something lighter weight, and Lucina mentioned she would be managing the shop that day.

As she entered, a small chime announced her arrival.

“...and the way she handles a sword, gods. She moves so gracefully, yet she has this fire in her eyes—!”

“I’m _yawning,_ Soleil! How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t care about your girl crushes? As if I can even keep up with them.” Nina crossed her ankles as she leaned back against the store counter. “Oh, but did you see Forrest and Shigure earlier? I swear to the gods, the way Shigure looks at him…” Nina paused to sigh dreamily.

 _Crap_ , thought Severa, _maybe she meant she’d be in tomorrow?_

“Hi, Selena!” Soleil called from behind the store counter. “Are you thinking of picking up a new blade? Maybe I can help you decide?”

“No,” said Severa flatly. “I was just looking for someone. Do you—ugh, do you know where Lucina is?”

“Oh, we were just talking about her! She should be in to take over my shift soon.” Soleil leaned across the counter and rested her chin in her hands. “By the way, what do you know about her? I’ve heard some stories about her—y’know, legends and stuff—but she hasn’t shared very much about herself with me, despite going out for tea with me a few times.”

“You want to know more about her? Fine. Number one: she’s out of your league. Number two: she deserves better than some philandering fool who will forget about her the moment they see a new pretty face.”

“No way!” interjected Soleil. “My duties as a soldier might take me away from the arms of many cute girls, but I never forget a name or face. As for being in her league, I don’t think there’s problem there, seeing as we’ve spent a lot of time together. You know, alone time? Just the two of us?”

Severa huffed. “Is that so? And what did you two do during this ‘alone time’?”

Soleil’s face finally reddened. So she had some shame, after all. “Er, well, we’ve only talked, really. I get, uh, dizzy if things move too fast, so I’ve been trying to take things slower than usual. Anyway, I’m surprised you’re not more upset over this. You looked pretty jealous the last time I mentioned her!”

“Oh, yeah, that brings me to my third point: no matter how many times she accepts your invitation to tea, no matter how nice she is to you, I guarantee you that she is completely oblivious about your romantic intentions. So, you know, your current chances of her reciprocating your feelings are next to zilch. Trust me on this one.”

Oh, how satisfying it was to see the look of despair on Soleil’s face. “Wait, really? Then all this time—” She shook her head vigorously. “That’s it! No more dancing around the subject. I have to confess my feelings, nerves be damned!”

“You sure you wanna do that? How impressed would she be if you fainted right in front of her? Besides, that can’t be good for your health,” Severa sneered.

Soleil waved her hand dismissively. “No, no, that doesn’t sound like her at all. Actually, if I show some weakness, she might take pity on me and come rushing to help! Ooh, if she were to carry me to the infirmary in those arms...”

“Ugh, you’re incorrigible. If it were up to me, I’d kick your woozy, manipulative behind to the roadside!”

“Whose behind are we kicking, now?” said a voice from behind.

Severa turned to see Lucina standing in the entrance. She gaped for a moment, fearful of how much the princess had heard.

She glanced at a starry-eyed Soleil and stifled a grimace. Then, she had an idea.

“Good morning, Lucina, darling!” Severa stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on Lucina’s cheek.

Severa shot a smug grin at Soleil, who appeared to be in mild shock. She seemed to shake it off quickly, however.  

“Good morning, milady. Are you buying or browsing? I’ll bet I have something you like,” Soleil said with a wink.

“Actually,” said Lucina, “I’m here to relieve you of your shopkeeping duties. Lady Corrin instructed me to inform you that you have the rest of the day to do as you please. I ran into your father, as well, and he seemed hopeful that you would share some tea with him.”

“Well, I can’t keep him waiting, then! Thanks for letting me know.”

Soleil rounded the counter and reached for Lucina’s hand. “I’m glad I at least caught a glimpse of you this morning, milady,” she added, chastely kissing the noble’s knuckles before releasing her.

Lucina chuckled. “A pleasure seeing you too, Soleil.”

 _Oh, it’s on,_ thought Severa. She cast a pointed glare at Soleil, who answered it with a brilliant smile as she passed. Nina followed closely behind, rolling her eyes.

The shop’s bell chimed again as Severa let the door shut behind the two girls. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and turned her attention to the reason she came.

“I’m grateful there are other friendly faces around here,” said Lucina. “With how harsh this land is, one would expect the residents to reflect it.”

“What, are you talking about Soleil? Trust me, she might seem ‘sweet’ or ‘charming’, but under all that, she has some seriously questionable motives.”

That seemed to put Lucina on her guard. She knew all too well the dangers of trusting those with hidden intentions. Hell, Ylisse had almost lost their finest tactician because of that mistrust.

“Questionable? How so?” she asked, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.

“Well, she’s not some villain, if that’s what you’re thinking. No kid of Inigo would ever turn out as an evil witch, or anything like that. It’s because she’s just like her dad, though, that you have to be careful with her.”

“Like her father? Then… she’s a dancer?”

“No, no, I mean—look, to give you an example: after she joined our ranks, I swear to the gods she must have asked every woman in the castle to have tea or ‘look at the stars’ or whatever it is she does.”

Lucina smiled and shook her head. “Yes, that does sound like Inigo. I hope she doesn’t take their refusals as harshly as he does, at the very least.”

“I guess I wouldn’t know, considering girls actually fall for her crap. ‘Look at me, my name is Soleil and I took five girls out for tea today!’” Severa rolled her eyes so hard, she saw stars. “That’s probably a direct quote, by the way.”

“And you? Have you gone and had tea with her?”

“Ugh, no way. I’m too old for her. She’s, what, somewhere around four years younger than me?”

At this, Lucina laughed. “I see. Now that I think of it, you may have surpassed my age by now. Are you too old for me as well?”

“Uh, y-you—I mean, don’t be ridiculous! You’re way more mature than she is.”

“Oh, so you like being with girls who are older, then?”

“N-no, I—!”

Lucina furrowed her brow. “Are you alright, Severa? Your face turned red very quickly, just now.”

“Never mind that! Look, I’m just trying to look out for you, that’s all. Don’t think about it too hard.”

“As you wish. Admittedly, however, I fail to see what is so underhanded about trying to make a new friend, as she is doing.”

Severa took a deep breath before continuing. Explaining to Lucina that she had been dating—or rather, that Soleil _thought_ they had been dating—for nearly two weeks was not how she wanted to spend her morning, but she couldn’t sit back and let Soleil confess to Lucina without doing something about it.

“Okay. First off, she’s not just trying to be your friend. Remember, I told you she’s like Inigo?”

“Yes, you mentioned that. What of it?”

“What I’m trying to say is that she likes girls. Like, _really_ likes girls.”

Lucina laughed. “Why is that so strange? I like girls, too. Don’t you?”

“Well, yeah, but—I mean, no! I mean—ugh, you just don’t get it!” Leaning over the store counter, Severa buried her face in her arms.

Lucina sighed, resigned. “No, I suppose I don’t. Oh!” She brightened immediately and laid a hand on Severa’s shoulder, prompting the other to peek upwards.

“I have an idea,” she continued. “You and I have a day respite from our duties tomorrow, don’t we? Why don’t we spend some time together?”

“Oh. Um,” Ignoring the instinct to bury her head again, Severa stood up straight, letting Lucina’s hand fall from her shoulder. “We already hang around each other a lot while we patrol and stuff, don’t we?”

“Yes, I know that, but all this talk of Soleil has made me realize that I’ve been neglecting you as a friend. Don’t you think it would be nice for us to do something relaxing or enjoyable together, as well?"

“Sure, I—” Severa stopped herself. _Don’t look so desperate, idiot,_ she scolded. She cleared her throat and twirled her hair around a finger. “I’ll check my schedule. I have a _lot_ that I need to do tomorrow, but maybe I can squeeze you in.”

“I appreciate it. Now, then…” Lucina stood tall and folded her hands upon the store counter. “Welcome to the Royal Armory! Will you buy something?”

Severa scoffed. “What, are you trying to be cute or something?”

“Not at all, but perhaps it’s working?”

“I guess you’ll never know, since I just wasted all my free time talking instead of browsing. I have to report in for knocking some new recruits around.”

“Oh. Alright. I will see you tonight, then?”

“Yeah, unless you doze off before I get back to the room.”

Lucina’s gaze hardened. “Never. I will be ever vigilant.”

“You do that. I’m out of here. Have fun driving local, family-owned businesses out of town!”

“Wait, what was that last part? Severa!”

\--

Beruka was already gone by the time Severa awoke, as was Lucina. Rays of light drifted through sheer, lavender curtains, painting the room in violet hues. Though small, her shared room was one of the better decorated living quarters in this part of the castle, mostly due to Camilla and Severa’s combined enthusiasm for aesthetics.

Severa stretched, arching her back as far as it could bend. She couldn’t remember the last time she had woken up feeling so refreshed. She hadn’t jarred herself awake from shivering in the cold of night, didn’t recall waking up from any nightmares, and, perhaps most importantly, hadn’t been kept from sleep by anyone snoring.

She looked over to Lucina’s makeshift cot. The blankets were tucked tightly and neatly, if a bit crooked. It wasn’t strange that Lucina had gotten up before her. Still, Severa wondered where she would possibly have gone on her day off so early in the morning, especially since the mercenary had not shared her own plans (or lack thereof) for the day.

 _Dummy, Lucina’s schedule doesn’t revolve around you_ , she berated. _She’s probably made other plans by now, just because you decided to play the aloof asshole._

As long as she wasn’t off somewhere listening to Soleil pour her heart out, Severa didn’t care where Lucina was.

...Just in case, she decided to get dressed sooner rather than later.

 

Really, she should have expected to find Lucina in the barracks. The princess hacked away at one of the training dummies, which slowly but surely crumbled under the abuse.

Severa was unsure whether or not she should interrupt, so she stood watching from the entryway for a time.

One would expect a princess to fight with beauty and grace befitting nobility. While this wasn’t entirely untrue of Lucina, a much more striking characteristic of her combat style was the sheer resolve behind every attack. Although she attributed much of her acquired skill to her father’s teachings, the truth was that he had died before he could pass on anything more than the basics of his style to her. Lucina had the most formal training out of all of the Shepherds’ children, back then, but even so, most of her skill had come from years of battling under threat of total annihilation. Desperation fueled each swing of her sword, as though the fate of the world breathed hot on her neck.

Severa supposed it had, once upon a time.

Lucina took no notice her visitor, focusing her attention solely on her own movements. She repeated the same strike over and over, each time pausing to examine the dummy’s condition. Severa wondered what exactly she was trying to accomplish.

“Damn it,” Lucina muttered. “Even after so many blows…”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure a human target couldn’t handle even half as many times as you hit that thing,” said Severa.

Lucina turned to meet her visitor’s gaze with wide eyes. Upon seeing her companion, however, she relaxed. “Ah, Severa. Er, pardon my language; I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone.”

“I think you’ve earned the right to curse a little now and then. I recommend cussing somebody out the next time you’re pissed off; it’s incredibly therapeutic.” She gestured to the damaged dummy. “What did that dummy do to you, anyway?”

“Oh, nothing. I was only trying to imitate one of Father’s attacks. I once saw him shatter a training dummy with a single blow.” As she spoke, Lucina ambled over to the rack of training weapons and swapped the shoddy bronze sword with Falchion. “But enough about that; have you given more thought to what we discussed yesterday?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact. In a bizarre twist of fate, all my plans for today have been canceled. Lucky you! My day is totally free.”

Lucina’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “Wonderful! If you would, allow me time to change into something more presentable. I will join you at the castle gate when I’m ready.”

“Alright, but don’t keep me waiting.” _In the meantime,_ thought Severa, _I’d better think of something for us to do._

\--

Browsing the local market was the obvious choice. Lucina was unfamiliar with Nohrian culture, and the market was the perfect place to glimpse the traditional foods and crafts that defined the kingdom.

The key word there is “glimpse”, for Nohr’s constant shortage of food ensured that Severa and Lucina would not be sampling the common gruel served at local eateries. Between that and the promise of pickpockets wandering through the crowd, one would expect a trip to the market to be a dismal choice for an outing.

No amount of lawlessness or poverty can stop dedicated artisans, however. Many a merchant hawked vases, idols of deities, and other small works of art. At present, Lucina examined a small, bronze hair clip shaped to resemble a butterfly.

“It brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Lucina asked.

Severa furrowed her brow. “Of what, exactly?”

“I was just thinking of the time before we went to the past. You and I had to find a way to manage my hair for my disguise.” She chuckled. “And that mask… it all seems silly now, doesn’t it? Still, what beautiful craftsmanship,” she said, turning the hair clip over in her hands.

The nearby peddler grunted. “Hope you’ve got some gold for that, girl.”

“Oh,” Lucina said. She returned the trinket to its place. “I’m afraid not. I apologize.”

“Hold on. You mean they haven’t been giving you any pay for the work you’ve been doing around the castle?” said Severa.

“Well, no. I imagine they don’t think an Einherjar needs anything like money.”

“For the love of—” Severa grumbled and growled as she dug a hand through her satchel. “Here,” she said, tossing a few gold coins onto the stall and retrieving the hair clip. “We’ll take it.”

“T-that’s hardly necessary of you, Severa, you don’t need to—”

“Oh, none of that from you. Look, I just paid for it, do you want it or not?”

Lucina smiled and shook her head. “You haven’t changed a bit. Thank you.” She took the gift gingerly, cradling it in her gloved hands. “Perhaps you could help me put it in when we return to the castle grounds?”

Severa cleared her throat and turned her head. “Yeah, maybe. Just don’t lose it in the meantime, okay?”

“I’d sooner lose my life,” said Lucina, her expression one of intensity.

“Are you nuts? It’s not worth _that_ much!”

Lucina laughed. “Ah, I was trying to make a joke. Did it not work?”

Severa sighed. “No. Just let me do the joking from now on, alright?”

“Yes, of course.”

 

The rest of their market tour was uneventful. When they tired of enduring the constant shouting of peddlers, they decided to visit the garden near the outer edge of the castle grounds.

“Garden” was a generous title; the vegetation in Nohr was by no means lush, and more often resembled masses of brambles and withered trees. Perhaps it wasn’t the most welcoming place to relax, but it was better than stone walls or rough crowds.

The center of the garden featured an old fountain filled with stagnant water. Beside it stood a single cherry blossom tree that must have been pillaged from Hoshido. It never blossomed, of course, but it provided some cover from the relentless sun. Lucina and Severa sat in its shade on the edge of the fountain.

The bronze butterfly Severa had purchased looked tarnished and dull, but the metalwork was beautiful, its wings made of intricately twisted wires. She set it aside and beckoned for Lucina to turn away.

Lucina’s hair was even more of a mess than it appeared. Considering the princess’s record of self-care up to this point, Severa expected that she had left the castle this morning without brushing it. More than once Severa had to stop to pick a stray twig from its deep, blue depths. Nevertheless, she worked diligently, running her brush through its tangles until not a snag remained.

She retired the hairbrush and began to work with her hands. Lucina’s hair wasn’t as thick as Camilla’s, but it was soft to the touch and significantly easier to work with. As Severa’s fingers combed through the strands, she considered what to do with it. Given the heat, putting it up seemed the practical choice, but Severa wasn’t sure if the clip could handle that much hair on its own. She settled on pulling sections of her hair back in a waterfall braid.  

“Do you ever feel homesick?” Lucina asked suddenly.

She had been quiet up to that point, even before they left the market. Severa pursed her lips, splitting her concentration between her hands and her answer.

Of course she was homesick. She had been homesick since they had left their own time. She hated to admit it, though; what was the point when there was no going back? They had saved Ylisse from a terrible fate. That was supposed to make it better than their ravaged home, right? And she had chosen to leave that behind, too. She had no reason to be homesick.

“Severa?”

“I don’t know.”

Lucina tried to turn her head, but Severa clicked her tongue and turned it back.

She gathered the hair framing the noble’s face, her fingertips brushing Lucina’s temples. She supposed she should ask whether Lucina felt homesick, but she already knew the answer.

Instead, she asked, “What did you mean when you said that I haven’t changed?”

Lucina hummed. “Well,” she began, “I suppose I meant…” She interrupted herself with a laugh. She almost sounded nervous. “I don’t know. It’s foolish.”

“Oh, please,” said Severa. “As if you haven’t heard enough stupid stuff from me.”

Lucina shifted in her seat. “Alright. I just… I admire your strength. You always seem so self-assured. Not to mention quick on your feet, so to speak.”

Severa’s jaw tightened. _You? Admire me?_ she thought. Lucina was supposed to be the strong one, not her. “Looks like I’ve got everyone fooled, then. Gods know I don’t know what the hell I’m doing the majority of the time. And don’t you dare tell anyone I admitted that,” she added.

“Your secret is safe with me. You should give yourself more credit, though; you’ve managed to adapt to this harsh environment quite well. I haven’t handled the change in scenery nearly as smoothly.”

Severa unclasped the pin and slid it into Lucina’s hair. “Yeah, I guess this place is pretty rough around the edges. No wonder I’m not too homesick. It suits me.” She snapped the clasp shut and fussed for several moments before she was satisfied. “There. It’s perfect. Thanks to yours truly, of course.”

Lucina turned to look in the fountain’s reflection. “Ah,” she muttered. She looked greenish in the scummy water, but otherwise its still surface showed a faithful reflection of her visage. “It looks lovely. Certainly better than I could manage.” She looked up from the water. “Thank you, Severa,” she said, her voice thick with fondness.

Severa’s face burned under her stare. Lucina was stupidly beautiful, and affection oozed from every crack in Severa’s defenses. She averted her gaze, instead letting it fall to the satchel at her feet.

But then, she felt fingertips slide over her hands. “Severa, I…” Severa’s pulse quickened as Lucina spoke. “I’ve been wanting to tell you that I…” _Oh, gods, oh, gods, please don’t,_ “I’m glad that it was you who stopped me that day.” Lucina laughed softly. “I suppose it sounds strange, saying it like that, but you know what I mean.”

“Oh. That. Right.” Severa relaxed only for a moment before fresh unease twisted in her gut as she remembered her blade pressed against Lucina’s flesh.

As an Einherjar, Lucina was under Severa’s power, and it was not the sort of power anyone should have over another person. Severa felt sick. Dirty. She found herself filled with an immediate desire to leave Lucina sitting there, to flee before she somehow abused that power.

With Lucina’s hands still over hers, she tightened her grip on her knees. _No._ She had sworn to herself—to the both of them—that she would treat Lucina like a person, and that meant remaining Lucina’s loyal friend. Einherjar had to obey their masters, but that was only if they were told what to do. Severa would just have to be careful.

Easier said than done, considering her bossy nature. Ugh.

She eyed her satchel again. Then it hit her.

“Gods. I’m such an _idiot._ ”

“Severa?”

Severa snatched her bag from her feet and clawed through its contents. She fished out a small, wooden carving and held it before her.  

“Is that…?” Lucina peered at it curiously. Then, her eyes widened.

“It’s your figure… totem… thing. It’s what summoned you.” She shoved it into Lucina’s hands. “You should have it. You can just be free! No need to worry about me making you do something stupid, anymore.”

Lucina turned it over in her hands, examining the figure from under a furrowed brow. Whether it was the idea of freedom or the mystery of the totem itself that kept her so rapt, Severa could not tell, but she was silent for quite some time. Severa twirled her hair around a finger in an attempt to appear as though her nerves weren’t fraying with each second that passed.

“No,” Lucina said abruptly. “You must keep it.”

Severa reluctantly accepted the carving. “What? Why?”

Lucina’s stare was stern. “Do you remember fighting those rogue Einherjar? They nearly destroyed the lands they occupied. They didn’t have masters to guide them or keep them grounded. They thought they were still in their own times. I…” Her eyes fell. “What if the same thing should happen to me, were you to release me? What if I forgot myself and hurt others?”

“No, that’s not—you wouldn’t do that! You’re _Lucina_ , for gods’ sakes!”

“Whoever enchanted this totem didn’t do it for social reasons. They wanted to create a weapon. You saw what I did to Lord Corrin when I first arrived, did you not?”

“But—”

_"Severa."_

Severa snorted and dropped the totem back into her bag. When Lucina had that look in her eye, there was no use arguing with her. “Fine. But if you start calling me ‘master’ or anything like that, I’m ordering you to sleep outside. Weirdo.”

For whatever reason, Lucina smiled at that. “As you wish. Perhaps I might at least consider you a ‘partner’?”

Crimson flooded Severa’s skin. She turned her head and twirled her hair again. “I guess. If it will get you off my back.” Still, doubt tugged at her thoughts. “Not that I care or anything, but why are you so intent on sticking with me, anyway? I expected you to hang around Inigo and Owain more. I mean, Owain _is_ your family.”

“I was initially happy to see them here, yes. I still am, of course. But…” Lucina curled her hands against her lap. “Something’s changed. They have their own families now. I feel like an outsider. An intruder.”

 _And they probably look at you like strangers,_ Severa realized. They hadn’t resolved to see an Einherjar as a person as Severa had. Owain failing to secure Lucina any decent living quarters was proof enough of that.

“But with you, I… I feel…” Eyes flickering downward, the noble tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Severa’s heart swelled and stammered. Lucina chuckled, seemingly at herself. “I think the best way to describe it is to say that being close to you feels like home.”

Severa couldn’t help but stare at her lips like an idiot. A terrible idea raced to the forefront of Severa’s mind, shoving all else aside. She wanted to push the idea away, but Lucina was so close, achingly so, though her “partner” was barely aware of it for how her head spun. Severa needed to say something witty, cutting, flighty, _anything_ to get her feet back on the ground.

Try as she might, however, all she could do was look away shamefully and mutter a bewildered, “Oh?”

“I trust you, Severa,” said Lucina. “More than that, I care deeply for you. I can say with certainty that there is no one among our old friends that I would rather have met here.”

“I-is that so?” Severa felt stupid for giving such dull responses, but at that moment she was concentrating very hard on the way her fingers knit together on her lap.

“Severa?”

Her behavior must have come across as dejected, for when she looked back up to face Lucina, the noble’s brow creased with worry.

More importantly, Lucina’s face was even closer than she remembered, so much so that Severa stifled a gasp. Lucina, too, seemed startled, her eyes widening for a moment and her skin flushing deeply. They darted between Severa’s gaze and something below it, and Severa wished she could melt away under their owner’s stare.

 _Gods, please strike me down, before I—_ her thought ended abruptly when she recognized a telltale tilt of Lucina’s face. She approached Severa cautiously, as though (justifiably so) a sudden move might frighten her partner away. Severa’s heartbeat punched against her insides with such force, she feared it might burst from her chest. Swooning, her eyes fluttered to a close, and remained so until she felt shuddering breath caress her lips—

A shrill whistle pierced the air, a dagger cutting through silence. Severa and Lucina leapt to their feet on reflex, but not before bashing their foreheads together in an audible _crack_.

“Augh! Lucina! And I thought Owain had a thick skull!” Severa griped, swaying on her feet.

“I see now why many call you hard-headed.” Lucina rubbed the blossoming red spot on her forehead. She scanned their surroundings in search of the noise’s source. “Who in Naga’s name…?”

The perpetrator appeared from behind a far hedge of trimmed brambles. Though it took Severa a moment to recognize her with her normally unruly hair tied back in a ponytail, that off-key tune was unmistakable.

“Ah,” said Lucina, lowering her hand from her sword’s hilt. “Soleil.”

“Yeah, great,” Severa grumbled, still breathless. Just her damn luck.

“Shall we call her over? She seems in high spirits.”

“Three’s a crowd.”

Lucina chuckled. “The more the merrier?”

Before either could sway the other, however, a third voice called a greeting.

“Aha! I was hoping I’d find a cute face here, but I didn’t expect to find two!” said Soleil.

Lucina said something in reply, but Severa barely heard it because _oh gods she’s coming over here._

Frustration boiled anew within her. All she had wanted to do was spend the day with her _dear friend_ Lucina and get away from the unbearable rabble that was Nohr’s troops, but of course her wants would have no effect on her rotten luck. Soleil was just about the last person she wanted to see. The memory of their conversation yesterday only fueled the fire incinerating the remainder of her patience.

_“I have to confess my feelings, nerves be damned!”_

“Hey. Lucina.” Severa spoke without thinking. She was beyond any such menial tasks.

Lucina looked to her friend, puzzled by her tone. “Yes...? Is something—”

It was a miracle their teeth did not clack together for how Severa sprung to meet her. Lucina stumbled backwards, but arms around her neck pulled her back into balance. The kiss (if it could be called such) was as clumsy as it was abrupt, but still Severa clung to it stubbornly; she was nothing if not committed to making life-altering mistakes. Eventually, Severa found the sense to readjust herself to fit their lips in a way that actually made sense.

Lucina soon gathered herself enough to rest her hands on Severa’s hips. The touch seemed to pull Severa back to earth, for she drew away, creating distance between them. Lucina stared at her with wide eyes, her gaze punctuated by shocked blinks.  

“Well! Um.” Soleil tugged on her collar. “It’s, uh, suddenly a lot hotter out here, isn’t it?”

Severa shot a glare at the intruder. Soleil stood there stupidly, lips pulled in a nervous grin. Worst of all, she made no indication of leaving them in peace.

“Gods, you have zero respect for privacy, don’t you?” Severa snapped.

“Privacy?” Soleil echoed. “What for?”

“Why, you—!” Severa bit back her rage, though her teeth nearly gnashed from the effort. She snorted and tipped her nose up and away from Soleil. “That’s it. Lucina, we are leaving.”

“Hmm?” Lucina hummed, absent.

Severa’s frown deepened. “Come _on!”_ she urged, snatching Lucina by the wrist and pulling her away.

Even after Soleil’s voice faded behind them, Severa did not stop. She led them past walls and walls of thorny hedges, deep into the garden’s labyrinth, stomping with such force that her knees began to ache.

Lucina remained curiously silent during their trek, though she did clasp Severa’s hand when the latter released her wrist.

When Severa felt they were sufficiently far from the intruder, she tore her hand away from Lucina’s and stormed even farther ahead. _“Ugh!”_ she growled. “I can’t _believe_ her! How could anyone be so… so… _augh!”_

“Who?” Lucina asked almost dreamily.

 _“Soleil!_ Gods, she has got to be one of the rudest, most shameless, most oblivious people I’ve ever had the displeasure of even seeing!”

“Oh, right. She was there, wasn’t she?” Lucina chuckled with a sort of absence that only deepened Severa’s scowl.

“Uh, yeah, hello? You were there, too. Did that knock to the head wreck your memory?”

“No, no, I’m alright. I think I was merely distracted. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Severa sighed, a seemingly endless, long-suffering sound. “Right. Anyway.” She looked around. “So, uh… do you remember if it’s labyrinths or mazes that only have one path? Because if you answer mazes, we might be lost.”

Lucina only laughed in response. Severa wrinkled her nose. “Lucina! Be serious! I’m not living off nothing but dirt and thorns for a week while we find our way out of here!”

Stifling a giggle, Lucina apologized. “I’m sorry, Severa. I don’t quite remember about labyrinths or mazes, but I’m certain we’ll find our way eventually. If not, there must be some health benefits to a diet of dirt, no?”

“More nutritious than the slop they serve around here, I’ll bet,” Severa grumbled. “Come on, we should probably get back to the castle.”

Severa began to trudge towards what she hoped was an exit, but something held her back.

“Wait,” said Lucina.

Severa looked back to see the princess’s hand loosely wrapped around her arm. She raised an eyebrow.

“Before we return… come here, for a moment,” she continued.

Severa wasn’t quite sure whether she paled or flushed at the suggestion. For how her pulse thrummed in her ears as Lucina pulled her closer, she assumed the latter.

Lucina kissed her gingerly, her lips lingering in a manner much more pleasant than Severa’s earlier attempt. A thumb brushed across her cheek, while the other hand moved to her hip. For a brief moment Severa swooned at the sudden sensation, but Lucina caught her with an arm looped around her waist. Not about to lose face, Severa reached for Lucina’s shoulders and pulled herself deeper into the kiss, sighing against her skin. The hand at Severa’s face moved to cradle the nape of her neck. The other hugged her close, so close that she felt the noble’s chest rise against hers as she struggled to balance kissing and breathing. Their noses bumped more than once, but it felt more like affection than a mistake. Lucina’s lips were warm and gentle, though chapped and tinged with the salty sting of sweat.

It felt too real. Eerily so.

As though a fire had been doused, Lucina felt a change in Severa’s body language. She pulled away and examined her partner’s expression, but Severa’s face fell before she could catch a glimpse.

“Severa? Is everything alright?”

Severa, still clinging to Lucina’s shoulders, looked away.

Lucina tensed in her arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—I overstepped your boundaries. I should have asked permission.”

Still no answer, but Severa slipped out of her grasp and backed away.

“Severa? Please—” Lucina approached her, but froze, thinking better of it. “Please, won’t you talk to me?”

“You can’t…”

“What?”

Severa’s hands balled into fists at her sides. “You can’t _do_ that!” Lucina flinched when Severa finally brought her fiery glare to bear.

Lucina gaped, reaching for words, but Severa didn’t give her the chance.

“All this time,” Severa began, “I spent all this time pining over you like a hopeless schoolgirl, kicking myself in the rear, trying to smother my own idiot feelings, telling myself it would never happen!” Her fingernails, however short, cut painfully into her skin. “I made a new life for myself, godsdamnit! I was finally free from whatever curse Mother put on me with her own tragic love life!

“But _you!”_ She jabbed an accusatory finger at Lucina. “Not only do you pop out of _literally nowhere_ to show your stupid, pretty face, but you drag me back into this… this godsforsaken infatuation! I thought maybe I could at least go back to the way things were, that I could just keep you at a distance again, but then you kept… kept talking to me and touching me and holding me, and—” She paused to steady her breathing. Angry tears stung at her eyes, but she couldn’t stop now, not just yet. “You just—you can’t kiss me after all this time when it’s not even _real!”_

Somehow, the ensuing silence was more deafening than Severa could ever be.

She didn’t know what she was waiting for. She should have stormed away like she always did. She should have held true to form and run away.

Instead, she watched Lucina’s expression turn into something far more fearsome than her own.

“You… you really do…” Lucina paused to gather herself. “You truly see me as a tool, don’t you? Something for you to use and put away as you see fit?”

Every ounce of indignation drained from Severa’s body. Her jaw flapped like a doll’s, unable to form any coherent response.

Lucina raised a hand. “No. Let me speak. I will no longer stand idly by as you deliberate on my right to be treated like a human being.”

“Th-that’s not what I—”

“Is it not?” Lucina’s eyes were cold steel, glinting like a readied sword. “You told me you would respect my feelings despite what I am, yet you continue to break your vow. Tell me: when you kissed me, did you do so out of passion, or simply so that you could claim your property in front of somebody else?”

It was a rhetorical question, but still, Severa grasped at empty air for an answer.

“Do not mistake me; you had every right to be upset about my forward behavior. Yet when you said those words to me, just then, I—” She faltered then, her eyes shutting tightly. “It hurt more than any blade pressed to my cheek.”

Severa didn’t want to look, didn’t want to see the tears that surely fought to free themselves and roll down the panes of Lucina’s face, nor did she want to see the tuft of dark hair that still stuck outward as a reminder of their violent reunion.

“I love you, Severa. I’m sorry that it took so long for me to fully reciprocate your feelings, and longer still to acknowledge them.”

“Oh, gods,” Severa whispered, her own tears pooling.

“And that’s why…” Lucina’s pause was too long, too agonizing, too heartbreaking, “...you have to decide. You must choose whether you will treat me as a friend or as a tool, and you must commit to your decision. I will not dance between the two by your side any longer.”

 _"Gods,"_ Severa repeated.

Lucina laughed bitterly then. “You know, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if you chose the latter. At least if I behaved as a mindless tool, I would no longer need to feel anything anymore.”

“Don’t say that!” Severa barked. Her initial shock had finally faded; now, her voice trembled with desperation. “Don’t you know that’s why I’ve been screwing up every two minutes? I _tried_ to think of you as a tool or whatever, and even as just another soldier later on, but my idiot feelings won’t shut the hell up!

“I love you so much that I can’t stand it. I hate it! I hate that I can’t even fool myself into hating you like I do with everyone else, even if you’re not—” she caught herself, but only barely, “—the Lucina I knew.”

Severa paused to gauge Lucina’s reaction, but the other was indecipherable. She met Lucina’s gaze evenly and continued. “So that’s why I can’t just use you like any other Einherjar. I’m going to treat you right, starting now. I swear it to the gods, or the Dusk Dragon, or whoever’s up there listening to me.”

Lucina’s jaw tightened. She appeared to deliberate silently under Severa’s pleading stare. Severa wanted to close her eyes, to pretend it was all a nightmare, but she refused to let the noble see her will falter.

To her surprise, it was Lucina who averted her eyes. “I’m sorry. I cannot accept that answer.”

Severa’s breath caught in her throat. “What?” she croaked.

“Not yet, at least. Severa, you cannot keep feeding me empty promises. I’m begging you, please think on this decision and what it means. Come back to me in a day, two days, a week, however long it takes. I will honor your decision if and when you commit to it.”

“Lucina, please, I…”

The princess met Severa’s gaze again. It was cold, unreadable. It was the face she wore when she shut away her fears and emotions, when she peered out over swarm of Risen she knew they must face. It was the face she wore after her father had died.

Severa looked to the dry, cracked earth. “Okay. Fine.”

“Very well,” Lucina replied. “I will see you around the castle, Severa.”

She turned and vanished the way they had come. Her departure was rather brusque; perhaps she was closer to breaking down than she had indicated.

 _Labyrinths,_ Severa recalled, too listless to manage even a bitter laugh. _Labyrinths only have one path._

Taking the other path would be long and winding, she knew, but she would make it out. Maybe it was appropriate.

Wiping her eyes, she began to trudge along. At least her tears would dry by the time she found the exit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *solid snake voice* Kept you waiting, huh?

Lucina did not sleep. Not since that day.

It was one of the few benefits of being what she was, alongside never starving. She occupied her nights by taking the night’s watch where they needed her. Corrin always paired her with someone, as well, which ensured she was never left alone to ruminate and upset herself over what had happened between her and her usual partner. 

Still, she couldn’t help but imagine Severa’s disappointment when she first retired to her room to find Lucina’s cot empty. 

Gods, but Lucina felt every sort of fool. She had meant every word she said to Severa, of course, but that didn’t stop the tenderness swelling in her chest at the thought of her. She wanted nothing more than to speak with her, but Severa had not approached her in days. 

Lucina knew how it felt to miss her friends, but this ache was unfamiliar. She almost wished Severa would deem her a tool so that she may be fully rid of such pain. 

She looked to the east. The sun had breached the horizon, for what it was worth. The skies of Nohr were ever dull as though a diaphanous veil covered the land. Somehow it did nothing to ease the accompanying heat. 

There would be early risers about, at this hour. Lucina decided to visit the mess hall in search of company; she couldn't deny the loneliness twisting in the pit of her stomach. 

The mess hall held fewer people than she expected, though she identified a handful of familiar faces. She hailed them by name as she entered—a practice she'd found to help ground herself. Most of the diners were too sleep-addled to reply with more than a grunt, but one called out a bright greeting. 

“Hey, Princess! Over here!”

Lucina turned to see Soleil sitting at a table, a grin illuminating her face even more so than the braziers lighting the room. It was a smile that had once belonged to Inigo, but now seemed exclusive to his daughter—at least, when Lucina was around. 

Lucina could only manage a small, nostalgic smile. 

“Hello, Soleil. You seem to be in a cheery mood.” 

“Sure am! I’ve been hoping to run into you, actually. Do you wanna sit with me?"

"Certainly."

Lucina sat opposite Soleil, who nursed a bowl of mysterious mush. As interested as she was in other lands, she was thankful she didn't have to stomach Nohrian cuisine. 

Soleil churned the stew with her wooden spoon. "Is it, uh, okay if we talk about something sorta serious?” 

Lucina’s smile fell. “Of course. Is something wrong?” 

Soleil’s laughter cracked. “No, no, nothing at all! It’s just, uh…” 

When she locked eyes with Lucina, she faltered, her jaw hanging open. 

“Uh… you know what? Never mind! It’s not that important!” Soleil leaned on a palm in a poor attempt to conceal her spreading blush. 

"Soleil," said Lucina, "if something is troubling you, my ears are open. I consider you a friend, after all." 

"Right," said Soleil. "Friend. That's kinda related to what I wanted to talk about. Nothing bad, per se, just... clearing the air, is all." 

There was little pomp or pep to Soleil's words; whatever was on her mind was indeed serious. "You have my full attention," Lucina assured with a resolute nod.

Soleil grinned. "Thanks. See, all those times we shared tea and talked, I thought the two of us were heading somewhere more... romantic." 

"...Ah." Heat built in the tips of Lucina's ears. She should really pay better attention to these sorts of cues. "I'm sorry, Soleil. I completely misread your intentions. I was under the impression that you only wished to be friends."

Soleil laughed in a manner much closer to her usual levity. "Hey, don't worry about that at all! Just hanging out as friends has been great," she said. "So you don't think you'd consider... well, going in that direction that me? As in, going on a date?"

Lucina shook her head. Soleil sunk. "Gotcha. I guess should have known, but I'd heard that you and Selena weren't actually a thing, so I thought..." 

"Selena and I have a... complicated situation at the moment. I'd prefer not to discuss it." 

"Yeah, totally." 

The two sat in silence for some time. Soleil toyed with the lukewarm sludge in her bowl. Struck with sudden melancholy, Lucina nearly drifted into somber reflection, but redirected her attention to her surroundings. 

The other patrons were a little more awake now, exchanging idle talk about the weather and inflated gossip. Long benches creaked as people sat, rose, and shifted on the old wooden planks. The air itself smelled of something singed; likely the cook's doing, judging by diners' expressions as they struggled through their meals. Lucina wondered who had kitchen duty this morning. 

"So, hey, I know you've been having your own problems, but... do you think you could give me some relationship advice?"

Lucina blinked and returned her attention to Soleil. "Relationship advice? From me?"

"Yeah! Our situations are pretty—well, actually, I guess my situation's more like Selena's, what with her being the one who got the boot."

"I... see. I admit, I don't claim to be an expert on relationships by any stretch of the imagination, but if you need support, I'll do my best." 

"Thanks." Soleil fiddles with her thumbs as she speaks. "See, there's this girl who's, like, impossibly cute. I tried to talk to her a bunch of times, you know, but I kept getting way too excited and always drove her away! At the time I thought I just had to keep at it, but then she confronted me and—" 

Her eyes fell to her hands. "—and I sorta made her cry. I wanted to at least be friends, since our dads are best friends, but what kind of 'friend' does that?" 

"Your fathers? Then you mean..." Lucina quickly wracked her brain. "Would you be talking about Ophelia?" 

Soleil's eyes widened. "Do you know her? Maybe you could talk to her! You know, put in a good word for me? Oh, talk about my muscles! Or that time I saved a town from a horde of bandits! Er, with some help, of course." 

Lucina laughed and shook her head. "I haven't spoken to her very much; she'd likely find it suspicious if I approach her out of the blue just to talk about you. And besides, I don't think any of that is necessary." 

"Yeah? Do you have another plan?"

"Yes. I think it would be best if you simply apologized." 

Soleil sunk. "Oh. Right. Yeah, I thought about that, but... I don't know, it doesn't feel like it's  enough."

"I think you'd be surprised. A heartfelt apology, to say the least, shows that you're willing to admit fault, and that you care about your friend's feelings." 

"Yeah..." Soleil mumbled. "I guess I'm just afraid I'm gonna get too jittery and make things even worse." 

"I think you can do it. You're calm enough right now, aren't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah! You know what? I can totally do this." Soleil leapt from her seat, her brow creased with determination. 

"Erm, maybe spend some time thinking about what you're going to say beforehand. 'Look before you leap', as they say." 

"Oh. Right." Soleil returned to her seat. "Um, thanks, Lucina. And sorry about the confusion, earlier. Can we still hang out as friends?" 

"Absolutely. Though perhaps another time, if that's alright with you." With all this talk of romance and apologies, Lucina needed some to clear her head. 

"Sure. Just find me and grab me whenever you feel like it!" 

Lucina chuckled as she rose from the table. "I will. I hope you fare well with Ophelia, Soleil." 

"Heh, thanks! See you!"

With a final wave, Lucina disappeared out the exit. "Wow," Soleil breathed, leaning on a palm. "What a woman." 

 

Night brought another watch shift. Lucina's partner was late, so she stood alone atop the guard tower. Though at times Nohr's shrouded sky seemed darker than that of her doomed home, a few pinpricks of light dotted the sky that night. It was tempting to sit back and stargaze, given that there hadn't been any hint of outside threats since she'd appeared in Nohr. Still, the darkness brought with it a sense of unease, transporting Lucina back to nights gripping her sword in anticipation of a Risen ambush; nights untangling hair from its bindings after spending a day with a borrowed name; nights spent foregoing sleep in fear of waking to find her father gone and a second chance wasted. 

She heard voices echo within the castle walls. She peered over the edge of the tower to find Inigo and Owain. Owain pranced through the grounds enthusing about some new trick or quest he'd invented for himself. His comrade followed, punctuating Owain's ravings with a shake of his head and what was likely some jab at the his impassioned speeches. Whatever their discussion, it was lighthearted enough that they both smiled as they walked.

Lucina leaned her cheek on a palm, warmed by nostalgia. True, neither Inigo nor Owain treated her as they had before—or, rather, as they had treated the real Lucina—but knowing that they, at least, remained friends trial after trial was no small comfort. One day, she prayed, they might see her as a close comrade, even if they saw her as a different person from the Lucina they knew. 

She closed her eyes. She tried so hard not to miss them. Not just Owain and Inigo, but everyone. Her father. Her mother. Her sibling. 

Severa. 

That wound was the freshest, the most red and irritated. Like Severa herself, Lucina mused. And still somehow, she imagined that pushing Severa away would only make it worse. 

"Hey."

Lucina jumped. Spinning around, she found Severa stood at the top of the stairs, as though summoned by Lucina's ruminations. 

Severa clicked her tongue as though preparing to admonish Lucina for being so skittish, but she faltered, instead staring at Lucina with parted lips. 

Lucina's throat tightened. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but she remained silent. She would not prompt Severa in any way. 

Severa's gaze flickered between Lucina's and their surroundings. Her face contorted. "I..."  

Alarmed, Lucina stepped forward. "Severa?" 

That was enough to break Severa. She covered her face and sputtered a sob.

An acute ache pulsed in Lucina's chest. She caught Severa in her arms with little resistance. 

"I'm sorry," Severa wept into her shoulder. 

Lucina shushed her and held her tightly. "It's all right," she whispered.

"It's not, you dummy. That's why we're in this situation!" Severa drew away and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Ugh. I had this touching speech all prepared and everything. Look what you did! You made me cry in two seconds flat." 

Lucina laughed weakly. "Well, it's not too late. Let me hear it." 

Severa sniffled. "No. It's long and sappy. Just..." 

She paused for some time. Lucina allowed her the silence, though her anxiety increased with each passing second. 

"I've...I've missed you. A lot. And I mean  _ you  _ you, not just the old Lucina." 

Though she spoke in a halting manner, it was a significant admission, coming from Severa. And she wasn't done. 

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. After you kissed me. I mean, I was the idiot who kissed you first." 

Lucina watched Severa. Soon the latter shifted on her feet and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well?" she said. "Are you going to say something or am I just wasting my breath?"

Her voice quivered as she spoke. Lucina opened her mouth to respond, but what could she say? Severa understood and apologized for her missteps, just as Lucina had wished. She should feel something like relief or triumph. Looking at Severa now, however, pity overwhelmed her. 

She reached forward and cupped Severa's tear-slick cheek with a hand. It was an act of impulse, a reaction to both the pain in Severa's eyes and the affection in Lucina's breast. 

To Lucina's surprise, Severa leaned into her touch, her eyes closing. 

"You know that things will never be quite right between us," muttered Lucina. 

Severa opened her eyes. "But—"

Lucina stopped her with a finger to her lips. "This is something I need to accept. I was harsh in the way I treated you back in the labyrinth. I was angry and confused, and I didn't stop to consider how conflicted you must have felt." 

"Hah. Maybe we're both way out of our depths." 

"Maybe. As it stands, my nature as an Einherjar will always make things complicated. But then, I suppose, that's how all relationships are, aren't they?"

Her partner's eyes widened. Lucina caught sight of a growing blush before Severa turned away. 

"A relationship, huh? Is that what you want?" said Severa.

Lucina, too, flushed at the thought. She honestly hadn't meant it in the romantic sense, but now that Severa suggested it...

"Yes," she breathed. 

There was a long silence filled with nothing but the sound of Lucina's heart pounding. 

"I love you," Severa whispered. 

A thrill danced across Lucina's skin. The words tingled on her tongue. "I love you, too."

"It's stupid how much I love you."

Lucina laughed. "Love isn't stupid." 

"Well, it sure makes  _ me _ act like a fool," Severa huffed. "Anyway. If you really want to try this relationship thing, you're gonna have to ask me out. I'm not just gonna throw myself into your arms like some swooning maiden!"

Lucina laughed at Severa, at her crossed arms and stubborn scowl. It was a little late to save face, but Lucina couldn't blame her for trying to keep up appearances. "Oh, so that's my duty?" she teased.

"Well, yeah," said Severa. "If I ask, I'm afraid weird Einherjar rules are gonna force you to say yes, or something."

"Very well. Severa," said Lucina, "would you like to accompany me for tea and a chat tomorrow evening?"

"Ugh, you just stole that from Soleil and Inigo!"

"Erm, do people do other things on dates?"

"Maybe you should let me do the planning." 

Lucina chuckled. "As you wish." 

 

They talked for hours atop the guard tower, about everything, about nothing, about anything in between. Strangely enough, Owain and Inigo remained below. When Lucina asked, Severa said they were probably celebrating Inigo's birthday—his  _ real _ birthday, hence the lack of any grander celebration. 

"It's like we're all together again. Just like old times, huh?" 

Perhaps Severa had meant it as a positive, but there was a certain wistfulness in her tone. Lucina followed Severa's gaze back to the scene below. The two merrily passed a bottle back and forth, likely some spirits pillaged from the dining hall stores. 

Severa leaned her head against Lucina's shoulder. Lucina watched her, though her partner would not meet her gaze. It occurred to her that every affectionate gesture from Severa must take effort; effort to say and act to the full extent of her feelings. 

"I wish I knew where your Lucina had gone," said Lucina. "So that you could find her if anything happened to me."

"Tsk. Don't say stuff like that. You're not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, got it?"

Lucina giggled. "Of course. What was I thinking?"

"Oh, and none of that 'your Lucina' stuff.  _ You're _ my Lucina."

Lucina smiled and squeezed Severa's hand. She gazed at her, taking in her visage. Torchlight flickered beside them both, making the shadows dance on her face and her hair blaze an even more fiery crimson. The princess drew her hand to her lips and kissed it. 

Severa smirked. "Oh, how noble of you." 

Lucina meant to deliver a jest of her own when the color all but drained from her comrade's face. "Severa? What's—" 

"Get down!" 

In a split second Lucina was on the ground, shoved backward by a lunging Severa. In what remained of that second, a burst of arcane energy exploded above them. 

Loose stone rained upon them. Lucina snapped to her senses, her magical body recovering quickly. 

Severa laid motionless beside her. Blood trickled from a visible head wound. Lucina's breathing hitched in panic. 

In the distance, bells began to ring, signalling an attack. "The Grimleal," she whispered, "It has to be." 

She had to get Severa to safety. Owain and Inigo were below, but too far to help. She could only hope Brady was nearby. 

Another blast of magic whizzed over her head. She moved to position her arms under Severa's back and knees. After a moment of struggle, she stood with Severa in her grasp. 

She had not known how fear could transform one's perception even in the most familiar environments; though she had grown up in this very castle, its ramparts and corridors now twisted in unfamiliar ways. Soldiers raced past her, but barely paid her heed, though she pleaded for Brady's location. 

"Lucina! Lucina, is that you?"

Lucina's breath caught in her throat. "Robin!"

She rushed to find the voice's owner, pushing past panicked guards. Rounding a corner, she found her. 

"Robin, where have you—"

She stopped. Two puzzled red eyes blinked back at her. "Lucina? Who is... oh, gods, is that...?"

"Lady Corrin," Lucina breathed. Of course it was Corrin. Where was her mind? She was in Castle Krakenburg, in the capital of Nohr. There was no Brady or Robin, no soldiers under her command. No Risen storming the gates, no Grimleal hurling curses at every living thing in sight. Right?

"Lucina! Did you hear me?"

Corrin squeezed Lucina's arms. The latter blinked and stared. "What?" 

"Take Selena to the infirmary. Elise is already there. Do you remember where the infirmary is?" 

Lucina nodded, though she had a feeling that particular memory wouldn't last long.

"Good. Go to Camilla's side afterwards and tell her what happened." 

"Yes, Lady Corrin. Be safe." 

She jogged down the hall, focusing intently on the Nohrian standards, as well as anything that would keep her mind in the present. Yet images of rotting warriors shambling around the castle grounds bored into her mind, blurring and confounding her thoughts. More than once she found herself in an unfamiliar wing with no memory of arriving there. Meanwhile, Severa had not woke. 

"Gods, please," Lucina begged, "please, show me the way. Let me protect someone I love, just this once." 

There was no answer, of course. Nothing could be heard but the clashing of steel coupled with exploding spells. Still, Lucina repeated the prayer again and again until the words were nothing more than sounds to her own ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone it's been almost 2 years since I updated it so hopefully it still flows with the rest of the work!! the next chapter will be the last, thanks for reading \o/


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